Tag: Ft. Wayne

Registration Is Open for the 2026 NGS Family History Conference — And I’m Teaching a 3-Hour AI Workshop!

The National Genealogical Society has officially opened registration for the 2026 NGS Family History Conference, taking place May 26-30, 2026 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. If you’ve been thinking about attending a major genealogy conference next year, this is a wonderful opportunity. Fort Wayne is home to the world-renowned Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center,making it one of the best locations in the country for genealogical research and learning.

I’m excited to share that I’ll be teaching a three-hour beginner workshop on using AI as a genealogy research assistant.

This workshop is designed specifically for those who are:

  • curious about AI but not sure where to start
  • overwhelmed by new technology
  • wondering what AI actually does for genealogists
  • looking for tools that make research and writing easier
  • eager to work smarter, not just harder on their projects

What We’ll Cover

During this interactive session, we’ll explore:

  • How AI can help you plan and structure research
  • Where it can (and cannot) interpret records
  • How to create stronger logs, summaries, and timelines
  • Ways to improve your historical writing and citations
  • Best practices for accuracy, ethics, and reliability
  • How to build your own repeatable AI workflows

My goal is to give you tools you can use immediately, whether you’re working on a family story, preparing a client report, or tackling a brick-wall ancestor.

Why AI Matters for Genealogists

AI doesn’t replace genealogical reasoning. Instead, it strengthens organization, speeds up repetitive tasks, and frees you to focus on the analysis and interpretation that only a human researcher can do. It’s an exciting time in our field, and I’m thrilled to help genealogists explore these tools in practical, down-to-earth ways.

Join Us in Fort Wayne!

If you’ve never attended an NGS conference before, you’re in for a treat. You’ll find:

  • dozens of sessions across skill levels
  • networking with researchers from across the country
  • access to one of the world’s best genealogical libraries
  • opportunities to learn new methods, tools, and approaches

You can register now through the NGS website:
👉 Register

I hope to see you in Fort Wayne next May and I can’t wait to share this workshop with you!

Allen County, Indiana Courthouse

Rotunda ceiling, Allen County, Indiana Courthouse

It’s time to travel! Since we’ve returned to live in Indiana, hubby and I have decided to get reacquainted historically with our region. We have planned to visit historical sites throughout the Midwest this summer and I’ll be blogging about our amazing finds.

Wanted to start this series off with a courthouse because, as genealogists, we’re used to digging around there. Most people, however, get the willies just thinking of a courthouse visit. I get it – you’re either in trouble or you’ve been selected for jury duty. If your local courthouse was anywhere close to what the historic Allen County courthouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana looked like though, you’d get over the dread quickly.

Listed as a National Historic Landmark, the Beaux-Arts style building was dedicated in 1902. The architecture is breathtaking – from the rotunda to the numerous Italian marble columns, stained glass, and basreliefs in every courtroom. The murals have been repainted as total fools in the 1930s painted over them. (All I kept thinking was that old song “Folks are dumb where I come from” when I heard about the modernization to paint over them.) Unfortunately, the paint used could not be removed but the original drawings were thankfully stored in the Louvre and France graciously shared the design so they have been replicated.

We were lucky to have gotten a tour from a knowledgeable docent arranged through AARP. The Society of Indiana Pioneers to which we belong is planning another tour later this summer and we loved the visit so much that we plan on returning and bringing family with us.

Visiting this courthouse is like going to a fine arts museum. Most courthouses at the time cost about $80,000 to construct; this one cost $817,000!

We were just stunned at how much thought went into the basreliefs, which vary depending on your role in the room. For example, jurists face Lady Liberty to keep in mind their important task of being fair. The defendant faces honesty, and the judge faces justice. Some rooms are themed around Indiana history and highlight famous northeastern Indiana historical figures, like Anthony Wayne and Native American Chiefs.

Interested in taking a tour? Check out the courthouse website to arrange one.